Two Worlds Collide
by FloofyFox
Summary: Judy may not have overcome Gideon by herself, but with her help Nick has been able to overcome the scouts. Zootopia is never going to be the same with these two meeting in their cub-hood, and with their friendship stronger, they'll be able to overcome anything. But just how big are these situations, and how many scars will they receive? Come see the effects of Two Worlds Colliding.
1. Maybe just Maybe

It was a great fair, Judy thought, so far. She had just done her performance at the Kid's Competition, and it had been a blast. So what if they had only gotten 6th place out of seven animals, so what if the seventh mammal passed out, it was still good to Judy.

She would just have to try harder next time.

However, her parents were just giving her a lecture about how not trying was way better than trying. What's with that? Judy loved trying, so she was going to stick with it, no matter what her parents thought or said. She was going to be a cop no matter what, it was her dream, and she would stick with it.

"One carrot at a time," Bonnie said.

"Amen to that," Stu said after her. What? Oh right the lecture. But Judy wasn't listening, as her rabbit ears perked up to as she heard a whisper. Gideon Grey, the school bully's whisper, to his weasel sidekick Travis. They just started to follow a group of Judy's friends back behind some stalls, and the look on that fox's face spelt trouble and not a friendly walk in the park.

Judy glanced back at her parents, who were still bickering, then back at the opening. They weren't watching, so she took off after the other mammals.

The tiny rabbit arrived just in time.

"Give me your tickets right now, or I'm gonna kick your meek little sheep butt!" Gideon growled, shoving one of the kids, a little black lamb, into the others. They looked so scared!

"Ow, cut it out Gideon!" she cried.

"Baa, baa, waddya gonna do cry?" the young fox cried back tauntingly, making the little sheep cringe.

"Hey, you heard her! Cut it out," Judy said, walking up to the group, having enough of Gideon's tormenting. It wasn't the other kids' fault he was so greedy, so they shouldn't suffer for it.

"Nice costume loser. What crazy world are you living in where you think a bunny can be a cop?" Gideon chuckled, stalking up to the small doe.

"Kindly return my friends tickets!" Judy cried, handing out her paw in expectation. The other kids watched on, not daring to breathe.

"Come and get 'em!" he said, gesturing to himself then her. "But watch out, 'cus I'm a fox!" he beared his claws, making Judy's noes twitch slightly. "And like you said in your dumb little stage play, us predators used ta eat prey! And that killed instinct is still in our dunnuh,"

"Uh, I'm pretty much sure it's pronounced DNA," Travis whispered behind his paw.

"Don't tell me what I don't know, Travis!" Gideon seethed, swatting the weasel away. He very much obliged to step back, with wide eyes.

"You don't scare me Gideon!" Judy said tentatively, stepping up to the fox. Without warning Gideon shoved her to the ground. Judy gasped in shock, as she looked as Gideon towered above her. The others screamed and ran behind a tree, where they peered over at the two, shocked.

"Well you scared now?"

"Look at her nose twitch, she is scared!" Travis cried, like it was the best thing in the world. It was true, Judy's nose was twitching like mad.

"Cry little baby bunny, cry," Gideon taunted above her, as he lent on his knees. That was the last straw, thought Judy, as she stopped twitching her nose and hardened her face in one swift motion, and then quickly kicked Gideon's lingering face square on the muzzle. Judy heard a gasp from behind the tree, and she quickly regretted the movement as Gideon touched his nose, then looked over at her with pure hatred.

"Oh, you don't know when to quit, do ya?" Gideon asked, eyes narrowed, as he pulled his paw up, then suddenly claws shot out from it in a giant _screesh_. Judy gasped in horror, heart racing so fast as she watched him walk over to her.

Gideon started growling, and Judy's eyes clamped shut as she waited to feel the raking claws across her face.

But it never came.

She looked up in shock as she heard a growling scuffling in front of her, and her eyes shot open to see another fox, a new one, on top of Gideon, seeming to be seething mad at him. He started to shake Gideon from the front of his collar, shaking so hard that the fox bully's teeth chattered.

"What the heck were you thinking, Gideon?! What were you thinking you would accomplish through that, huh?! What. Were. You. Thinking?!" the new fox yelled into Gideon's face, making his ears fall back.

"I was thinkin'…. I don't know," Gideon mumbled back in shame.

"That's right, you weren't! You. Weren't. _Thinking_! See what went wrong there? I knew you were a bully in recent times but this is really the icing on the cake! Wait till I tell-"

"You won't tell ma, will you Nick?!" Gideon gasped in shock, looking up at the other fox, making him smirk.

"Oh, depends on if you apologise to the bunny you about to skin!"

"Alright, I will, I will!" Gideon cried, scrambling up and walking up to Judy slowly. The other fox, Nick, just stood where he was as he watched on with grave eyes. Gideon seemed to feel it in pierce his back as he kept walking, stumbling every so often as his eyes darted from Judy, to the ground, then back to Nick and Judy again. Judy quickly scrambled up to meet him, as he finally stopped in front of her.

"Mm sorry," he muttered through his teeth.

"I didn't quite hear that," Judy said, putting her paw to her ear.

"Yeah, Gid, I didn't either," Nick called from behind, slowly walking up to them with his paws in his pockets. Gideon eyeballed him warily, and then sighed slightly.

"I'm sorry. There, I said it, now you won't tell?" He said to Judy, then to Nick, eyes large and hopeful. Was this the fox that was just tormenting her and her friends?

"Oh you bet I will! What you were just about to do was unforgiveable, and you deserved to be punished! I'm telling Aunty Susie as soon as we get in the car, and I suggest you get your lousy butt over there because that was what I was sent here to do!" Nick yelled in Gideon's face, making the larger fox remorse.

"But you promised,"

"It's called a hustle, Gid, okay? Just get over to the van, we're leaving. Unless you want me to tell it in exquisite detail," Nick said, standing up tall with his paws in his pockets, eyes narrowed like they meant business.

"Alright," Gideon grumbled under his breath, trudging off in the direction Nick came. The two mammals waited in silence until they were sure the bully had left. Only then did Nick turn around, and Judy got to study him better. He was slightly higher than her, and definitely smaller than Gideon, much brighter too. He wore a light aqua shirt, and some cream jeans. His tail was quite bushy, but sleeker than Gideon's. They must be distant relations.

"And don't you think I've forgotten about you, Travis, so you better scram before a call on your parents, ok?" Nick called over his shoulder, and the weasel quickly sprinted away, nearly as fearful as Gideon.

"I'm sorry about Gideon, he's just an idiotic fox with no reason to live life. Are you ok?" Nick asked, cocking his head in concern. Judy blinked once, then looked up to his face, which looked calm and inviting, yet ready to fight.

"Yeah, I'm good, thanks mister…?"

"Nick. Nick Wilde," he said, putting out a paw to shake. Judy smiled, taking the outstretched paw.

"Judy Hopps," As they shook paws, Judy's friends finally came out from behind the tree, all making a big fuss around the two new friends.

"Are you okay Judy?"

"What happened?"

"Did you get out tickets?" the little bunny asked, eyes wide and hopeful. Judy looked back down at her in dismay.

"No, I didn't,"

"Yet here they are," Nick smirked, pulling his right paw out of his pocket, and handing them over to the little bunny.

"You got our tickets back!"

"Yes, when I was wrangling him. I decided he hadn't quite earnt them," Nick smiled at them, and they all went into a group hug. Judy laughed happily, snuggling into the assortment of fur and wool. She may not have gotten them herself, but they had gotten them back, and as long as the job was done, it didn't matter who took the glory.

"But Chief Carrots here should get most of the praise. She did start to try and stand up to Gideon, after all," he said, pointing over to Judy after they broke up the hug. Ok, so maybe a little of the praise did count.

"Yeah, you were awesome Judy!

"Your so cool for sticking up to him!"

"Thanks so much!"

Another round of praises. Oh well.

"It wasn't a problem, guys. I have to practice at being a cop anyway," she smiled back at them, then beamed up at Nick, who smiled back.

"Yeah, you sure will make a great cop. Come on guys, let's go tell mum and dad!" the white male sheep cried, and many cries of agreement and farewell were called, as the young gang ran over and out of the small clearing. Soon it was only Judy and Nick left.

"You will sure be one heck of a cop with that enthusiasm, Carrots," Nick laughed, patting Judy one the shoulder.

"You think?" she asked hopefully, jumping up and down on the balls of her feet. Nick smiled yet again and nodded.

"Sure thing, officer fluff. Just be able to control it, or else you could find yourself up against a wild jaguar!" he said, smiling at Judy's smile and optimism.

"Well, I better get going, Carrots. I have a lot of stuff to do, and a fox to tell on. Until next time!" Nick said, saluting at her and then walked off.

"See ya Nick!" she called after him. He wasn't half as bad as Gideon, and a really nice guy. If it wasn't for him, she may have an entirely different view on foxes, and wouldn't ever think they were trustworthy, since Gideon was the only fox she ever knew. Maybe, just maybe, not all foxes were the cruel, cheating, sly animals the world thought they were, and maybe they did have some good foxes in all of that bunch of stereotypical things hanging in the air.

Her parents did just exaggerate, Judy thought, as her paw ghosted over her cheek which would have been used as a pin cushion, and then she walked over to the exit of the clearing, took one look back at Nick's bushy tail, then walked out and over to where her parents were still trying to figure out where she went.

Maybe, just maybe.


	2. A Fox's Nightmare

"Are you excited, honey?"

"More than I could ever be!" Nick cried back, bobbing up and down on the car seat. He meant what he said, with all his heart. He looked over at his best friend, Judy Hopps, who was also accompanying him to the Junior Ranger Scout Initiation, and he wouldn't have any other friend with him on this special night.

She grinned back at the excited fox kit, and looked up at Nick's mother, who was just pulling up in the driveway of the building. It looked just like the other houses around, but to Nick it was glorious. After all, his family was quite poor, and any normal house looked like a castle to him, so it was nothing new.

But it wasn't just the fact it was neat and big, it was what was going to happen inside that made him tremble in excitement.

"Alright, kitsie, we're here,"

"Mum, I told you not to call me that when Judy is around!" Nick whined, slightly agitated as Judy giggled slightly at the cute little nickname.

"Alright, my big boy scout! Here we are," Nick's mother chuckled, hopping out of the car along with the two of them. Nick more like pounced out in happiness, and Judy giggled again at his enthusiasm. Nick looked back at her, crossed his eyes and poked his tongue out, just to make her laugh more, which he successfully managed.

"Alright, Nicky. Do you want us to go up with you or do you want us to stay here?"

"I can go up myself, thanks ma. And when I come out, I'm gonna be a Junior Ranger Scout!" he twisted on the spot and punched the air, as Judy beamed at him.

"You're gonna have to act more serious than that Nick!" she laughed at him again. Nick looked back at her, his ears folding back in embarrassment. He coughed into his fist, and put his hands behind his back in an attempt to look more grown up about the situation, but only resulted in Judy rolling on the floor with yet another fit of giggles, as Nick looked on in dismay.

"Alright, I'm gonna go in now! Wish me luck!" he said to his mother, then turned to the laughing bunny he called his friend.

"You too, Carrots,"

"Good luck, Nick!"

"Bye!" Nick cried, happily waving his paw over his shoulder as he sprinted up the stairs, nearly tripping over his tail when he raced inside the house. Judy smiled after him, then looked up at Nick's mum who seemed to be just as happy as her son.

"He's gonna be the best Scout alive!" she cried, bobbing on her heels. Nick's mother looked down at her, and smiled even broader.

"You're right about that, little bunny, you're right about that,"

* * *

The air was tingling with the excitement that radiated off of the young fox kit, as he made his way down the stairs to the basement. He finally reached the last three stairs, when the voice of the beaver leading the operation reached Nick's ears.

"Hey Nick, are ya ready?"

"Yeah! I was pretty much born ready," he cried at the group, jumping down the remaining stairs, and jogging over to the all-prey group. When he got there he hi-pawed a nearby zebra, then turned in front of the group and stood tall and rigid.

The group quickly switched the lights off, and then clicked on a torch, shining it in Nick's face. The kit blinked once, then twice, just to get used to the new burst of light, and looked at all of the members of the group. He grinned even wider when he finally felt part of a pack.

"Ok, now deliver the oath," the beaver who was holding the torch said, and Nick quickly raised his left paw.

"I, Nicholas Wilde, promise to be," he paused, trying to remember the rest, "brave, loyal, helpful, and trustworthy," he finished proudly, waiting for the group's response. The beaver looked up at the others and nodded, which Nick hoped was a nod of confirmation, although the fox cub felt a twinge of unease as the beaver looked back down at him.

"Even though you're a fox!"

"What?" Nick asked, voice shaking. Before he knew it, the torch light had been switched off, and he was shoved on the ground. The kit's eyes flew open as he felt hands and arms holding him onto the ground. However, the thing that terrified him most was that it was his own group that were holding him into place, and wouldn't let him go.

"No, you guys, what did I do wrong, what did I do?!" he screamed, squirming around and trying to find a way to get back up. His ears flattened against his head as he listened to a clinking sound.

Suddenly he felt something cold ad metallic on his snout, and when he glanced down he saw it was a muzzle.

A _muzzle_.

His heart started to race.

An illegal item was on him! He tried to get it off h=with his paws, but they were pinned to his side, taking away his freedom.

"Do you think we would ever trust a fox without a muzzle?" the beaver taunted, as Nick gave one last squirm. His tail curled up between his legs as stayed down on the ground, helpless. Nicks gave another muffled _mph_ as he tried to drag them muzzle of his nose.

It proved fruitless.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of the group laughing at Nick's struggles, they let him go. As soon as he felt the paws and hooves off of him, he shot up, and sprinted up the stairs, back from where he had come.

But he wasn't a Junior Ranger Scout.

"Aww, is he gonna cry?" he heard someone taunt, followed by more laughing as he exited the house.

Nick flew down the stairs of the entrance, and quickly turned right where he hid behind the stair wall.

 _I can't let ma see me like this. She will be so upset that this outfit was for nothing!_ The young fox kit thought, as he sat down, leaning against the auburn wall. He looked back down at the muzzle, and struggles to get it off by pulling at the cage-like front, but that only smacked between his eyes, where it already hurt bad. He tugged again, and his paws found their way up the straps, and tugged the straps over his head, pulling the whole muzzle off of Nick's face.

He was finally free.

But somehow, that wasn't what he felt. All the cub felt was the confining atmosphere of the world's judgement, about what he could or couldn't be, what he would and wouldn't be. All he felt were all those words, all the taunting, suffocating him, like an iron rope around his neck. All Nick felt was the criticism and judgement of Zootopia, and that wasn't a nice feeling.

So that was where the kit finally broke down, as a strangled cry escaped his muzzle. The first tear fell, as Nick slid down the side of the wall, all the way to the bottom, where he curled up, tail around feet, trying to make himself as small as possible, where the world and its words couldn't reach him.

More sobs came, followed by a steady stream of tears.

 _Why am I so judged? Why can't anyone be less judging? Why why why?!_

Nick looked at the muzzle lying in front of him, which brought more tears and sniffles. He started to cry even more, as the thoughts of before came back to him. All he wanted was for all this to end, all he wanted was some comfort, some love, not judgement or hate. All he wanted was-

"Nick? What's wrong?!"

All he wanted was that.

* * *

To Judy it had felt like the night was dragging on, and Mrs Wilde probably felt it too, as she had fallen asleep in the driver's seat of the car. Thankfully, Judy promised to wake her up if something was wrong or if Nick came back out.

So the little bunny had waited patiently, sitting in the back as she silently hummed to her favourite song.

It had been a while until she heard the sound of running footsteps, and her ears pricked up at the sound. She smiled happily, as she saw a snout appear peek out from behind the wall, but the smile quickly vanished as she saw it had a cage on it. She squeaked in surprise as she saw Nick run down the stairs and turn to the right, making her worry. Maybe he was hiding from them as a joke?

That didn't seem right, and what was that box thing on his snout?

Judy glanced at the sleeping Mrs Wilde, and decided to go and see what had happened to her friend. So she quietly opened the car door and hopped out, looking back. She debated whether to close it, but decided it would make too much noise, so just left it open. She would be back soon anyway.

The young bunny walked over to where she saw Nick's tail disappear, and was just about to turn the corner when a sniffling sound caught her ears.

They twitched up at the sound, and Judy immediately went into an alert stance.

More sniffling, and then a sob.

 _What happened?_

Judy slowly walked around the bend, and there before her was a whimpering fox kit.

It was Nick.

And the only thought that the young rabbit could say out loud was;

"Nick? What's wrong?!"

* * *

The fox kit looked up at a freaked out little bunny, all hairs on end, looking down at him in alarm.

"Judy?" he whimpered.

"Yeah?"

"Wha-what are you do-doing here?" he asked curling into an even tighter ball as his ears flattened back even further.

"Waiting for you, silly," the doe replied teasingly, but softly. She didn't want to hurt him. All Nick did, however, was tuck his muzzle into his knees, making Judy's playful smile fade.

"What happened, Scout?"

"Don't call me that!" the sharpness in Nick's voice made Judy flinch back in alarm, and Nick whimpered again.

"Don't call me that…"

"Why? What happened Nick?" she asked again, stepping towards him. Nick just flinched back. He had had enough of prey touching and tormenting him. Judy's eyes widened in alarm at the gesture and reaction.

"Please tell me, I have to know so I can help you!" Nick sighed in defeat, as he looked back up at his best friend who was now right beside him. His tail twitched at the fresh memories, but he gulped down another round of tears, and opened his muzzle bravely.

But all came out was a small sob, as all the events flashed before him. Nick's head sunk down to look at the ground, as he began to tell his friend about what the Junior Ranger Scouts had done to him just then. Another tear went down his cheek, as Judy sat down next to him.

"Well, I went inside, a-as you kn-know," he started, as Judy nodded for him to go on, "and I-I went down to th-the basement where the in-initiation was being he-held, and when I got there they surrounded me, and I started t-to say the oath. I s-said it, b-but then they turned the lights off and sh-shoved me to the ground, and started ranting in my face how they would never trust a f-fox!" Nick burst out crying again, even if it wasn't full on hollering. Judy's face hardened in anger. How dare they do that to her best friend? That was speciest!

"But that i-isn't the worst part! Th-they pu-put a mu-muz" Nick couldn't say it, so he ended up pointing to the discarded item on the ground a few feet in front of him. Judy followed his pointing paw, as Nick's ears went even further back, face scrunching as he cried. Judy gasped when she saw the muzzle.

The young doe looked back and forth between the muzzle, and when she finally put the pieces together, her blood started to boil.

"They muzzled you," she said. It was a statement, not a question, and it got Nick's nod, as he started to control his crying and sniffling.

"How could they _dare_?!"

Nick started at the harshness in Judy's voice, and stared up at the bunny. Her face was hardened, and she was staring at the ground as if she wanted to murder it for the Junior Scout's deeds. Nick gulped nervously, as he knew what that look meant, after being Judy's friend for quite a while.

"Judy…"

"I'll walk right up to the and kick the crab out of them! I'll tear at their faces so they can't see! I'll kick their butt so hard they won't be able to sit for a week! I'll- I'll!"

"Judy!" Nick cried, bringing the doe to her senses. Judy looked up with a start, staring into Nick's eyes which were full of fear.

"You're scaring me,"

"Sorry,"

"You can't do that to them! One, there is too many of them, and two, you would get in trouble! I don't want you to get into trouble because of what they did to me!" Nick cried, his ears twitching against his head, as yet another whimper escaped his snout. The kit looked up at his friends with big, pleading eyes, making Judy wince in guilt.

He was right, she couldn't barge in like that. She would get into trouble, and the others would go on unaccounted for, and that wasn't good justice.

"A good cop doesn't run into danger without a plan," Nick said in a whisper, a small smile lighting up his muzzle. This brought an idea to Judy's mind, as her ears perked up at a sudden thought.

"You're absolutely right. And a good cop has their resources, too. And I have good resources," she said, standing up, then lending a paw to her friend. He looked at it, as if debating to trust her, but then started as he realized what a stupid thought that was. Of course he trusted her, and never had he trusted her more.

Nick tentatively took it, and Judy hauled him to his paws.

"Please tell me it doesn't involve spilling any blood, or else I will be doomed,"

"Nope, it involves getting your mother involved,"

"Ma?" Nick asked, ear twitching yet again in nervousness. He didn't like the sound of this, and he didn't want his ma knowing. She would feel so upset, and all the money for the uniform would have gone to waste because he hadn't used it properly.

"Yes, your ma. Don't worry, Nick, she will understand. She's your mother for crying out loud, and looking out for you is what she is meant to do!" Judy cried, when she saw the look Nick was giving her. But as soon as she said that, his gaze turned thoughtful, then convinced.

"Well, when you put it that way-"

"Trust me, it won't fail," she said, nodding her head at her best friend. He nodded back bravely, and wiped the last tear from his whiskers.

"Alright, I trust you,"

* * *

Well, what they did didn't concern any blood or bashing up, no matter how hard it was for Judy to control herself from doing so when the bullies were forced to apologies to Nick. The doe stood there, beside her friend, as the young mammals each walked up and said sorry. Judy had to admit, it was satisfying to see how guilty they looked.

"Sorry," mumbled a young giraffe, and Judy nodded her head in dismissal, as if she was Nick's body guard. Nick just smiled grimy at him, ear twitching it irritation, but that was all he showed of his feeling.

Finally, a beaver walked up, and he didn't look happy at being busted. He kept giving Nick hard glares, and it made Judy's blood boil. So naturally, she mustered the hardest, coldest blood glare she could, and next to her, she felt Nick follow her lead. The two friends managed to make the beaver uncomfortable, and after a minute of silence he apologized, then turned away.

"For you being alive,"

"What was that?" Judy seethed, when her radar ears picked up the muttered end. She stomped right up to the beaver, staring him down, as he seemed to shrink back into his fur.

"Nothing…"

"Oh really? Because I could have sworn I heard you say something, so would you care to say it to our faces?!"

"Alright, I'm sorry! Ok? Please let me go…" the beaver whimpered, paws up in surrender. Judy gave a satisfied nod, and the beaver immediately scampered away. Nick then walked up to her, placing a paw on her shoulder, making Judy look up. The young kit smiled down at her.

"Thanks a heap, Carrots,"

"No problem, Nick. I will never let anyone hurt you, I swear on my tail and whiskers!" Judy said back up at him, making the two smile. Suddenly, without warning, she launched herself at him, hugging him to death. She nuzzled into his chest, tail twitching in the air. Nick sighed dramatically, then grinning, returned the hug. They stayed on the floor like that forever, just two friends in a tight embrace, not a care in the world.

Maybe this wasn't such a bad nightmare for the fox kit, because as long as he had Judy, not even the world with all its criticism could bring him down.

And all because of two worlds who collided with each other that one faithful day.

* * *

 **Hey guys, wussup? Ok, so here is the last chapter of this two shot, and boy was this a heartfelt piece to write. I nearly leaked a tear, but shh, don't tell anyone.**

 **So yeah, thanks for reading this, I really appreciate ever view I get, and every review I get, phew, double that feeling with a bowl of bluberries to spare!**

 **Ok, and one last thing... 23 FAVOURITES HOLY MOTHER OF CHEESE CRACKERS! THANK YOU! LIKE IN ONE CHAPTER! That was amazing when I realized, and yeah, because of that, I might even write little stories of them growing up together, like one-shots, nothing big, so yeah.**

 **Again thank you so much for reading this, and I shall see you in the next story. Until next time this is the hybrid possum signing out. Carrots!**


	3. School's Out For the Summer!

"School is _out_!" Nick practically howled, as Judy just _barely_ managed to keep him from throwing his books up and through the air in is excitement.

"Calm _down,_ Nick! The teachers can hear you!" the bunny cried, as she glanced over her shoulder to see their teacher watching them with a raised eyebrow. Judy gave her a small smile, and then turned back to her beaming friend.

"Come on, Carrots! There's nothing to worry about! By the time the holidays are over, the ol' dingbat will hardly remember me! Let alone anything I do or say," the younger fox kit reasoned with her, as the two started walking down the street. At that, Judy shifted her small orange backpack on her shoulders and huffed, a smile twitching at the edges of her lips.

"And come on, dingbat is _not_ an insult, considering she is _actually_ a bat!" Nick added, laughing as the two waited at the lights. That made Judy break into a huge grin.

Honestly, even though Nick was quite the troublemaker, being renowned for it at the school and throughout the staff, it was quite hard to stay mad at him. He was just trying to brighten up the mood or just be funny and get some attention. Well, not like he needed it, being the only child in his family, but who doesn't like attention?

"I guess you're right," Judy said with a sigh, as they crossed the road, and turned right, heading over to Judy's house.

"Hey, Carrots? I'm kidnapping you, remember?" Nick said, tapping Judy's shoulder as she looked up in surprise. The kit gestured with his thumb over his shoulder, in the direction of his house, when Judy suddenly remembered.

"Ohhhhh, right it's Friday. I completely forgot!" she laughed, as Nick tugged at her sleeve.

"And Fridays are when I kidnap you," he nodded in approval as the two started trotting to his little house.

Ever since the muzzle incident, Nick and Judy had stuck close by. Even their parents approved of their close friendship, having Nick even move over to the Tri-Burrows, even more so _Bunny_ burrows, which was a first for a fox family. However, Nick's mum and dad had been thrilled that their son had found such a close and loving friend, so at the end of grade four they decided to move in near Nick's aunt, uncle and cousin, Gideon.

Well, Judy was thrilled that Nick had come over to Bunnyburrows, even more so than his parents. And to add a carrot to the thoughts, Gideon wouldn't misbehave, as Nick could easily seem to handle him, which made the big bully fox behave.

In the end, everyone won.

Well, all except Gideon, but who cared about him any? He certainly didn't care about anyone other than himself.

"Hey Nick," Judy started, drawing the fox's attention, "tell me again why Gideon is so scared of you? I kind of forgot,"

"Welp, it's about time I get to brag about something!" the kit said, puffing out his chest as he tried to remember.

"You got to brag about your show and tell this morning, dumb fox!" Judy giggled, as the two kept walking on, about 3 blocks away from Nick's house. Plenty of time for him to finish bragging.

"I guess, but anyway," he coughed, as he began his amazing tale, "We were about 4, maybe 5, and my old town was throwing a fair. It was like a kind of summer carnival, yet more of city themed, with night markets for all of the nocturnal animals! My ma decided to invite Aunt Susie, and Gideon over one day so they could experience the markets themselves. Well, ma thought it would be nice for Aunt Susie to take her mind off of her husband being gone on a business trip, and to just have fun. So they came,"

"Well, Gid seemed nice enough when I met him, and after a while of having a coffee with them, ma asked if I wanted to show Gideon around the night markets, which was literately right next to us. I agreed, seeing as I was bored just sitting there, and Gid seemed happy about the idea, so ma gave me her phone and we were off,"

"Little did I know that Gerald, the school bully back in my old school, was at the night markets that night, so when we were looking at some toys, he came up behind us and started attacking Gideon," Judy gasped at that, which was more of a mocking gasp if anything.

"What did you do?!" she cried in mock horror, however Nick brushed it off and continued as if she had meant it.

"Well, I went up and grabbed Gerald's tail, and swung him to the ground! Bam! And then I started to punch him in the face when he tried to grab my tail and then pow! He was knocked back on the ground!" Nick cried, pretending to punch the bully, his fist swinging through the air as Judy laughed so hard she had to stop walking and regain her breath.

"But little did I know he was going to trip me with his leg, and then, bang _I_ was on the ground! Well, he was towering above me, as Gideon cowered in fear from a corner. It was quite deserted that night, and the owner of the shop was gone. So there I was, pinned to the ground, no hope of escape, about to die at the arms of the most feared crime boss known to history!" Nick puffed, as he ran short of breath in his story telling, getting maybe just _slightly_ carried away with the storyline. However, thankfully Judy noticed, and just played along. It was a fun routine the two had nearly every week, telling random stories, as they tried to make themselves look fiercer and bold. In the end, they tried to see who was the best story teller.

"Go on! What happened next? Did you _die_?" Judy urged, reminding Nick of his story as the resumed walking again, passing a cycler on the way.

"Oh, you would have thought, wouldn't you? But I lived!" the bunny breathed a fake sigh of relief, as she tried to hold in her laughter.

"See, I hooked _his_ legs with mine, and then used the momentum of his lunge to throw him _over_ my head, whilst I slid through his legs, making him catapult into the brick wall behind us.

"Nick, what was a _brick wall_ doing in the middle of the night markets?" Judy laughed, as they rounded the corner and turned into a little garden gate, which led to Nick's little house. The fox kit paused at that question, as he rested his hand on the gate and cocked his head to the sky.

"I dunno. It's in a shopping centre so, yeah,"

"Oh well. But how come Gideon is so scared of you?"

"Er, because he saw my true strength when I battled the bully, and at the end when the cops came to get the criminal- I mean bully, I turned and said to him 'See what happens when you bully anyone I know? You get snapped in half!'" the fox kit said, putting on a deep voice as he pushed open the garden gate and the two stepped in, Judy closing the gate behind her. She smiled at Nick's impersonation, even though it was hopeless as his voice cracked in the middle of it.

"Well, as unbelievable as that story sounded, it was admittedly very exciting and- intense," Judy ended, as Nick held his fist to knock on the door.

"I'm glad you liked it, Carrots," the young fox laughed as he knocked on the door, making the bunny grin. She loved to hear his laugh, because it just sounded so sweet, like a mixture between a yip and a chuckle. She sometimes thought of it as a yuckle, or a chiple. Either way it was adorable, much as Nick refused it.

* * *

"Hey, Carrots, wanna come over to my house for a cool off?" Nick's voice sounded through the phone, as Judy stood on her tiptoes to reach it. So far it was a week into the holidays and it was already _boiling_ hot, especially speaking as they also had fur other than their clothes.

"Yeah, sure, I'll be right over as soon as I tell mum!" Judy said through the line, and with a swift goodbye, jumped up and placed the phone back into its place.

"Hey mum, I'm going over for a swim at Nick!" Judy yelled throughout the household as she ran to her room, pulling out her little care-package bag and stuffing some spare clothes and water gear, as she chucked on some swimmers, and then a loose dress on top.

"Alright but be careful!" her mother, Bonnie, shouted through the walls, coming from most likely the nursery, which is where she looked after her newborns.

"I will!" the young bunny replied back through the walls as she threw the bag over her shoulder and ran out and through all of the corridor in her house, sprinting out and through the doorway, where she closed the front door.

Judy stopped as she remembered something.

"Bye mum love you!"

"Love you too sweetie!" came a faint echo, and with that Judy was off.

The walls in her house were specially made so you could shout something and another bunny would hear it, mainly because Bonnie needed to know when a baby needed tending to or if someone was leaving. Once upon a time the bunnies had tried phones, but that ended in disaster. Besides, babies can't call, and having hollow walls was much easier.

Judy hummed to herself as she skipped down the street, trying to make her trip as fast as possible, spending as little time as possible touching the scorching footpath. The sun had made it burning hot, and that burnt her soft bunny pads, which ended in blisters if she was out long enough, so skipping was the best option to stay up high and in the air. At least in the young rabbit's mind.

And sure enough, before she could blink, she was at Nick's house. Well, she was a bunny, and they were extraordinarily fast creatures.

Said fast creature rapped at the fox's door, and waited patiently for an answer, her hands clasped in front of her in anticipation. And shock and horror it was immediately opened, by Mrs Wilde.

"Oh, hello Judy! Nick has been expecting you," the older fox said sweetly, as she beckoned for the young rabbit to come in. The bunny much obliged, stepping into the cool interior which cooled down her aching feet.

"Thank you Mrs Wilde! Where is he?"

"Oh he is in the backyard waiting for you. I hope you have fun, I am off to finish some of my work," the vixen said, and then disappeared into the study which was right next to the hallway. It may have seemed strange to just walk away from your guest, but with Nick and Judy's families it was a common thing, as the two best friends had memorised each other's houses as if they were their own.

So the bunny bobbed along the hallway, until she reached the back door. She slowly slid it open, and then stepped outside onto the back patio, closing it behind her as she turned around, expecting to see her friend.

But he wasn't there.

"Nick? Where are you?" the doe called out, stepping onto the lawn as her eyes drifted all throughout the backyard. But not sign of him.

"Nick?"

Suddenly a hissing sound started behind her, making Judy whip around, to come face to face with a garden hose. Before she could think let alone react, water sprayed into her face, drenching her to the bone as the bunny desperately placed her paws in front of her, trying to shield herself from the torrent of water.

"Eek!"

"Hahaha! I got you _good_ Carrots!" laughter squealed from behind the deadly weapon. Judy looked up, blinking water droplets away, as she came face to face with a delighted Nick Wilde, who was rolling on the floor in his swimmers.

"I hate you!" Judy laughed as she realized the prank that had been pulled off, and she joined him on the floor as they laughed at Judy's expense.

"F-feelings mutual!" Nick giggled, _just_ managing to calm down his laughs so he could speak. Judy calmed down along with him, as she sat on the lawn, soaking wet.

"It feels nice, though," she said, as the soft breeze cut through her fur, cooling her down from the hot sun.

"I bet," Nick smiled at her, leaning back on his hands, looking at her with laughing eyes. Suddenly, Judy got a devious grin on her face, making Nick uneasy.

"You okay, Carrots?"

"I have to do something, be right back!" the bunny replied, grabbing her bag and going back to the other side of the backyard, near the tap.

"Hey fluff the hose is here if you want to get me back!" Nick called out, sensing the vengeance that was written all over the young bunnies face. He held the hose up for good measure, standing up along with it, as he saw her foot disappear around the corner of his house. He lowered the hose, as he waited for her to come back.

It took about 5 minutes, and then Nick was bored, so he started making a small puddle with the hose water, but that only lasted about 2 minutes as the hose went dry, and Nick sourly placed it back down, knowing Judy was behind it. He was now seated with his legs sprawled out in front of him, hunched over as he waited for his friend's arrival.

"Carrots I'm _bored_. What's taking you so long?" the fox kit wailed as he fiddled with the hose snout. He sniffed and placed it back down, waiting, waiting, waiting.

And then it happened.

A whooshing sound coming towards him, replaced by a splat as something cold and jelly like hit his back. That cold and jelly thing exploded into liquid, and before he knew it Nick's ears were weighed down with droplets of water, his fur drenched. However, all the kit could do was sit there, blinking as he tried to process what had just happened.

A sound of muffled laughter sounded behind him, as Nick turned around to see Judy, paw over her mouth, eyes grinning at him as if he were the next best thing to carrots. And in her paw, was a water balloon.

"Uh oh…" he dwindled off, as Judy approached him, evil smirk on her face.

"It's called a hustle, Nick," was the last thing she said before Nick tore through the backyard, trying to outrun the approaching bunny and cargo. And that was how they spent their afternoon, drenching each other and coming up with even more devious ways to get their revenge, via a giant water fight.


	4. Heroes

"Hey Judy, wanna come over for a movie?" Nick asked, as the bell rang for the end of school.

"Yeah, sure, why not?" the doe replied, as she picked up her small bag and placed it on top of her shoulder.

The pair skipped down the hall, as the crowd of small cubs and kits ran out into the playground, where their parents waited to pick them up. Nick and Judy scanned the crowd from the top of the stairs, trying to seek out their parents. Well, truthfully Nick was trying to find his parents, Judy was just trying to find her older sister, who was usually the one to pick her up as her parents were busy tending to her brothers and sisters.

"Hey look, there's ma!" Nick cried, and raced down the stairs to the vixen, who waited for him calmly. Beside her, Judy saw Talia, her older sister, and the doe proceeded to follow her friend.

"Ma, can Judy come over to watch a movie?" Nick questioned, almost as soon as he greeted his mother.

"Well, that's if Talia will allow her too," the older fox said gently, patting her kit on the head as she looked to her right, questioning said bunny.

"Please?" Judy begged, staring up at her big sister with an innocent stare.

"Well, as long as you do as Mrs Wilde says, and come back home before five," Talia reasoned slowly, and with a gleeful skip, the two kits ran down to the gate, the older mammals following slower, as they started to talk.

"I hope you don't mind, Mrs Wilde,"

"Oh, that's alright, Talia. Your parents must be very busy, and I'm more than happy to help them by looking after Judy for a little,"

"I better ring them," Talia smiled, as she looked at the two friends chat and walk happily down the road, towards Nick's house.

"Alright. I'll take care of her, don't worry," Nick's mum said, as Talia stopped and rang her parents, not before saying goodbye to her sister.

"Bye Judy, have fun and be careful!"

"I will, Tal, don't worry. Goodbye!" Judy cried cheerfully, and with that, she turned around and sprinted towards her best friend, who happily raced her yet again.

* * *

"So, what movie do you want to watch?" Nick asked, as they threw their bags down in the corridor and made their way to the living room.

"Well, which ones do you have again?" the doe asked, as she scrambled up on to the old couch.

"Um, not many," Nick said, wincing as he looked into their cupboard under the television. Because of how Nick's family wasn't exactly very wealthy, they didn't have many movies, as they couldn't afford it.

"Really? Then how did you afford that pool last summer?" Judy questioned, tilting her head as she stared down at her friend.

"Carrots, that was a _blow-up_ pool, and it was a Christmas present from my aunt from the Christmas before," Nick reasoned, as he held the cupboard door.

"Oh… Well, the question remains the same. Which movies _do_ you have?" the young doe quickly recovered, changing the subject. Nick looked back down at the movie selections.

"Well, we have Pig Hero 6, How to Train Your Bearded Dragon, or Robin Hood," Nick ended flatly, after listing all the movies they had, which really wasn't a lot. Judy stared down over his shoulder, squinting intently at the choices they had.

"How 'bout… actually, which is your favourite out of them?"

"Me? I really like Robin Hood," Nick admitted looking back up at her, and then returning his gaze to the DVD.

"Alright, Robin Hood it is then," Judy nodded her approval. Nick grinned up at her, and the bent down to pick the DVD up.

"I have to warn you, I've seen it a million times,"

* * *

"He's alive!" Judy squeaked in relief, as she clutched a fraying pillow to her chest, peering over it cautiously.

"Of course he's alive! He's Robin Hood! And he's a fox," Nick smirked, lying back comfortably as a fight scene unfolded.

"Take that!" Judy laughed, as her fear faded and she relaxed a little more. Nick was getting into the movie even more than she was, and once more jumped up and started to punch the air like a little boxer, bashing his opponents.

"Take that you stupid Sheriff! And that!" Nick cried, as Robin Hood started shooting arrows. Judy took a breath in, as she looked up at her friend. He really had a little rage in his eyes, and Judy didn't like it.

"Nick, calm down will you? It's only a movie!" she cried, slightly agitated as the kit looked startled, and stared down at her.

"But it's a great movie," he replied, however following Judy's orders and sitting down, as the fight scene subsided, and the prisoners escaped from the castle.

"You really do like it, don't you?" Judy asked.

"Very much so," the fox kit stated, as he looked back at his friend, his eyes serious.

"Robin Hood may be poor, but he is so talented, and he helps the poor. Also, he's a fox like me," Nick reasoned, making Judy smile a little. Of course Nick would look up to this character. With his mother struggling, they were barely paying his school bills. It was very tough on the young fox, so he would need someone strong to look up to, after his father…

"So, is this where you got the hustle thing from?" Judy questioned, breaking through her thoughts as the movie proceeded in a calm way.

"Maybe," Nick grinned mischievously at her out of the corner of his eyes.

"Wow Nick, just wow,"

"Well, he does hustle them well, and he steals for a good reason," the kit pointed out, making Judy roll her eyes, placing the pillow down beside her on the couch.

"I guess, but it doesn't make hustling good," Judy reasoned herself, making Nick sniff.

"If it is for the greater good, it does,"

"Nick, stealing is bad,"

"Call it how you see it, Carrots. Mammals have different opinions," the fox kit ended, telling Judy the conversation was over. The doe sighed, turning back to the television.

"Who's your hero then, Carrots?" Nick questioned her after a time, making the bunny pause.

"Well," she began, tilting her head to the ceiling as she turned the question over in her mind "Jack Savage, probably,"

"Why him?"

"He's a bunny, and he is the greatest detective and known cop of his time. He shows that bunnies can be anything, especially cops!"

"Okay, I guess that's fair," Nick said in approval, as the movie started to finish off.

"Yes, very," Judy agreed, smiling at her friend as he hopped on to the floor. Nick removed the DVD and put it back in its case.

"Soooo, what do you want to do now?" the kit asked, as he closed the cupboard door with a click. "You still have around twenty minutes until five, and I guess we have about fifteen minutes' free time until you have to leave,"

"How about we play Cops and Robbers?" Judy suggested with a smile.

"Cool! Same roles?"

"You bet!"

* * *

"Roar! I am the amazing Jack Savage, and I command you to stop in the name of the law!" Judy shrieked, as her gun hand shoot 'bullets' at the robber.

"Never! Robin Hood slows for no one!" Nick cried over his shoulder, as he shot an 'arrow' back at the officer that pursued him, with 'Jack' effectively rolling out of the way before the arrow hit him.

"You have to stop in the name of the law!" Judy repeated herself, as Nick leapt over the hose in his backyard, making his way to the small tree that was located at the very back of the backyard, in an attempt to seek shelter.

The young kit hopped up, and grabbed a small branch, hauling himself up in time so Judy couldn't pull him back down.

"Hey, no fair!" Judy wailed, as she tried to hop up again to grab at Nick's tail, failing and falling back on the ground.

"Na na!" Nick pulled a face at his friend, chuckling at her dismay. "You should have taken those tree climbing lessons I offered you!"

"No, not when I have… this!" she squealed, bringing back her fake gun, and pointing it at Nick's chest, startling the kit, "Now get down unless you want to be shot!"

"Never!" Nick cried down at her defiantly, and with that Judy 'fired' a bullet. However, Nick pulled his 'bow and arrow' out and shoot an arrow.

"Ha! I shot my arrow through your bullet! Now you've been hit!" He cried in triumph, puffing out his chest as Judy fumed beneath him.

"No! That's not possible!"

"Everything is possible for Robin Hood!"

"No, it's not realistic!" Judy whined, as she sniffed. Nick sniffed, as he cautiously climbed down the tree to his sniffling friend.

"Come on, Carrots, it's alright. It's meant to be make believe," he tried to reason.

"No, it has to be realistic!"

"Carrots…"

"…."

"Please?" Judy still didn't answer, her eyes lowered to the ground, as Nick approached her still. Then, without warning, she pulled her 'gun' out and 'fired', right at Nick's head. This took the fox by surprise and he nearly yelped in alarm, as Judy started laughing hysterically.

"You would make the _worst_ robber!" she squealed, as Nick blinked at her, suddenly realizing what had happened.

"I hate you,"

"I hate you too," she said, making the pair grin, still standing opposite to each other.

* * *

 **Hey everyone! Yay, I updated again! So, I had some reviews, and one of them asked where Nick could have gotten the 'hustle' line from, and it did get me to wonder. So, my wanderings lead to one answer:**

 **Robin Hood**

 **It has been one of my personal childhood favourites, and I really condone Nick either knowing about him, or him actually being Nick's ancestor, considering he was also a fox, has a similar design to Nick, and is created by the man himself, Walt Disney, it is likely the two would end up in the same world.**

 **Also, they are both anthropomorphic mammals, and Zootopia is based on a number of the older movies design, Mayor Lionheart himself based off King Richard.**

 **So, I wanted to inter grade this movie into my story, and therefore explains why Nick is drawn to hustling.**

 **Also, heads up to Jack Savage, one of the previous characters that was going to star in Zootopia but never made the cut. I feel he would have been a cool character, either way.**

 **So, I hope you enjoyed this, and until next time, Carrots!**

 **(P.S And yes, my explanation for how Nick owned a pool)**


	5. Sky High Fun

It also started with one idea.

The idea for a treehouse.

In Judy's backyard, considering her family had quite a lot of land for a normal family, and could definitely provide extra room for a treehouse. Besides, Mrs Wilde didn't have enough money to spare for the materials, and Nick's backyard only had two trees, one that was quite old and creaky, the other more of small shrub (okay maybe that's an exaggeration, but it was nowhere near big enough to support a treehouse with two kits inside!). That's why Judy suggested to make it at her place. At first Nick didn't support the idea, worried that they would be pestered by Judy's siblings, but then she had suggested that they had a secret, hidden rope to pull down the ladder, so only they could get up and inside.

At that prospect, Nick had instantly agreed.

So one weekend, they set to work. Of course, one of Judy's older siblings, Tim, was helping them. The two young mammals wouldn't be able to create it all on their own, and Judy's parents were too busy tending to the family.

"So, there will be a little balcony, which will have a hole to be able to pull up the ladder," Nick explained to Tim, who slowly nodded his head, staring down at the blueprint with a paw to his chin.

"Yeah, and we'll have the roof covering over it a little, to shelter it so the rain doesn't rot the wood in the ladder," Judy added reasonably, which made Tim smile.

"So, do you want to have tin covering your roof, so the wood doesn't rot? We don't have the proper timber to create it, after all," the older buck asked, making Nick and Judy turn to each other.

"Mm, yes, that'll be appreciated," Nick spoke for the both of them, first nodding at Judy, and then turning his head to look at Tim.

"We don't know _what_ weather conditions we have to face," Judy stated, smiling up at her older brother.

"Ok, I'll go get the tin, then," Tim nodded to both of them, motioning for them to stay seated in the grass. Nick smiled up at him, as the buck ran off, leaving them to going over their treehouse plans one more time. The best friends turned back to their messy plan, which at least _looked_ a little like a treehouse, grinning excitedly.

"So, will we have a slide then Carrots?" Nick asked.

"Er, no," Judy replied sadly, sighing as she looked at their cylinder, which was meant to represent a slippery slide down the side of the treehouse.

"Ma said that it would be way too expensive. But we are still keeping the swing. That we can afford," Judy added excitedly, bouncing back from her sadness at the thought of her own swing.

"Yeah, I guess… but no Furlock Holmes getaways through the slide," Nick sulked, scrapping their whole game where Nick was Furlock Holmes, and Judy was John Watswan, his trusty sidekick who was always serious.

"Hey, don't look so down. We can still play Furlock Holmes; we'll just change the slide getaway to a swing getaway!" Judy cried to her downcast friend, who looked at her thoughtfully, tossing the idea over as he decided whether it was a good proposition.

"Yeeeeaah, I guess,"

"Yay! Then let's get to it!" Judy said, spotting her big brother, walking over to them while tugging two large sheets or tin for the roof.

 _This'll be fun!_

* * *

"Carrots, can you please pass me that piece of wood?" Nick called down to his friend, who was working on the last bit of the ladder.

Judy looked up, and traced where Nick was pointing to, when she spotted the piece of wood he was mentioning.

"Don't worry, Jude, I'll get it," Tim said, jumping down from the now-completed-platform, landing with ease on the ground. He began to haul the wood over to Nick, who grabbed hold of it, trying his best to pull it up off the ground without success. He was just too small to carry something so big.

"Hang on, tiger," Tim chuckled, as he adjusted his grip on the wood, then lightly bouncing up, so he could push it on to the platform. From there, he jumped up, and gripped a branch, where we slowly inched his way on to the platform, careful not to break it. Tim then walked over to Nick, who was still struggling to pull the wood into the now forming treehouse, which was coming along quite nicely. At least to the two best friends.

"Alright," the buck groaned, yanking at the piece of wood, and pushing it up to lean against the wall. He went inside the house, and pulled the wood towards him, jamming it into place, for the moment.

"Hey Jude, can you pass me the driller and some screws! I need to drill the last bit of the doorway in!" Tim yelled down, as Nick peeked over the edge of the platform, right next to the hole in it, just as they had planned.

"Yeah, sure!" the young doe called back up, hurrying over to the tool kit. "I'll put it in the bucket, and Nick can give it to you!"

She grabbed the driller, and a couple of screws, placing them in the bucket, and then tugging on the rope. Nick quickly started to pull it up, as the branch the rope was resting on gave a quiet moan at the sudden weight. The fox kit grabbed the tools, rested the bucket on the platform, and then ran over to Tim, who was shifting the wood into place.

"Thanks kiddo," the buck thanked Nick, and then placed the screws into one of his jean pockets.

He bent over, and picked up the extension cord that was lying on the floor, which connected all the way into the shed, which had some power points. He gave it a good whir to check, and then clicked the screw into place. He checked the wood was in the right position, and then started to drill into the wood, through it, and then out the other side, securing it into place. He repeated this process three more times, and then unplugged the drill, wiping off a bead of sweat.

"Thanks Nick. You can give this back to Judy," Tim said, calling Nick over to the fox kit, who was hammering some nailed into the other side of the doorway, trying to be helpful, even if Tim had drilled on the other side a while ago. Still, the fox cub had wanted to help.

"Sure," Nick smiled, collecting the driller and its cord, then heading back for the bucket.

Tim followed the fox, looking down over the edge of the treehouse to see how his younger sister was doing with the ladder. In fact, Judy was doing quite well, hammering the last section of the ladder into place, huffing in exhaustion as she stepped away from her handy work.

"Hey, good job Carrots!" Nick called down to his friend, who looked up, a smile lightening her tired face.

"Thanks Nick! Are you coming down?"

"Yeah, I'll try," the fox kit cried back down debating his ways of getting down. He thought he should try sliding down the branches, until Tim cut in.

"No, I need you to stay up here, so that you can pull the ladder into place when we haul it up,"

"Oh, sure," Nick said, a little upset he couldn't even help putting the ladder together.

"Cheer up. I'll let you make the swing," Tim smiled down at the fox, which sparked a bit of excitement in the young fox.

"Yes!"

"Okay, sooooo," the buck started, as he jumped back down on to the ground, beside Judy' handy work. He viewed the to-be pull up ladder, tapping a foot gently on the ground, just like Judy did, thinking on how to come about this task.

"Well, there are three section, because there'll be a rope to pull the ladder up, and then it _should_ fold up. So, let's attach these together, with some hinges. Or at least I'll call them that," Tim chuckled, as he started on the task, Judy watching on in fascination. The buck kept doing it along the three section of the ladder. When that was done, he asked Nick for the extension cord, and once he had that, he started to drill a hole, just big enough for the rope to loop through, at the base of the ladder. He repeated this on the other side, and then stood up, as he went to stand next to his sister who was beaming down.

"That looks great! Let's attach it,"

* * *

"Boy, isn't it great up here Carrots?" Nick asked, as he threw a blueberry into his mouth, crunching it as the wind cut through his fur, cooling him down from the heat.

"Yeah! I think I can see Ben's house!"

"Yeeeeah, I think I can too!" the fox kit agreed, as he looked over the house rooftops. Sure enough, he could see the orange roof of their friend, Benjamin Clawhauser, who they had met in their class at the start of grade 4.

"I wonder what he's doing,"

"Definitely _not_ sitting in the best treehouse with his best friend," Judy smiled, as she leaned back on their little balcony. It had gone so well, and the ladder was the best bit. Nick may have had a bit of trouble with the swing, but with some of Tim's help, he had gotten there. And then, their treehouse had been complete.

"I think I'm never going to go back down," the fox kit had said, as they had climbed up to their treetop haven.

"Me neither," Judy agreed.

"As long as you make it back before dinner, it should be fine," Tim had chuckled, waving goodbye as he had gone to study. He was in university (college) now, so he had to do a lot of studying. At least that was what he had told Judy.

"And, we have that secret stash of chips!" Judy squealed, jumping back up and going to one of the corners, where they had leaned a bean bag against the wall, concealing several packets of chips underneath. They also had some stuffed _into_ the actual beanbag, but they had both agreed it was _only_ for emergencies.

"Hey, pass me the salt and vinegar flavour!" Nick cried over his shoulder, as Judy picked up some sour cream and chives.

"Sure," she smiled at her friend, as she walked over and handed his the chips.

"I thought you were eating the blueberries,"

"Finished them. And I'm still hungry, since I haven't had lunch," the fox kit reasoned, opening the pink packet.

"Ok then," Judy nodded, swinging her legs over the edge, looking into the distance.

"You know she said, halfway through eating her packet. "We need an oath of friendship, linked to the treehouse or something,"

"Yeah, we should," Nick agreed, licking his muzzle as he finished the last crumb of the chips.

"Okay then. Raise your paw," the fox obeyed, as Judy raised her own. "Repeat after me,"

"I Judy Hopps,"

"I, Judy Hopps," Nick sniggered, receiving a punch from Judy's free paw.

"No dumby, you're meant to say _your_ name,"

"Alright, alright. I, Nick Wilde," he surrendered.

"Promise to always uphold this friendship, through anything and everything,"

"Promise to always uphold this friendship, through anything and everything," Nick repeated solemnly, looking over to his friend.

"There, done! Now we are official best friends," Judy laughed at Nick's confused face.

"But we were always official friends,"

"Yeah, but the oath seals it,"

"Whatever you say, Carrots,"

 _Whatever you say._

* * *

 **Heyooooo! Wassuo people? I hope you liked this little fluffy one-shot. I just felt like writing little Judy and Nick, again. Yeah, I don't have much to say, apart from I hope you realized I changed my username.**

 **Welp, keep an eye out for FloofyFox ;)**


	6. The Downslide

"So what do you want for your birthday Nick?"

"M-my birthday?" the auburn fox froze at the top of the slide, pausing at the word.

"Yeah, your birthday, the day that you celebrate for being alive and being _born_ ," Judy laughed, pushing herself down the green slippery slide, neatly landing at the bottom. She glanced up at her friend, who seemed to still be stuck at the top, most likely contemplating her proposition.

"Uh…."

"Don't tell me you haven't thought about it!" the bunny huffed at her friend, crossing her arms. They were already starting grade 6, and had had many birthdays together. How could he have forgotten his own birthday?!

"No! I'm just…" Nick sat down at the top, staring out in front of him as his legs dangled over the side of the platform.

"You're just what?" Judy pressed, as she started to climb the amounts of bars sticking out from the side. She hauled herself up next to her best friend, sitting down beside him.

"You're just what?" she repeated, staring at his face that continued to seek out into the distance.

"I just don't want to celebrate it this year," he deadpanned, risking a glance at her.

"W-what?" Judy squeaked, as all Nick did was shrug in reply. He pulled his tail from behind, and started fiddling with it, as Judy just stared at him in amazement. How could you _not_ want to celebrate your birthday? _Why_ wouldn't you celebrate it? His mother couldn't have forgotten it, he was her only kit, and her parents remembered all of their kid's birthdays for crying out loud! Well, okay the grandparents and older siblings helped remembered, but still, there were roughly 300 of them!

"I don't feel like it," the kit mumbled, staring at his tail as he stroked it.

"But why-?"

"I just don't want to okay! Why won't you accept that!? Sometimes animals want a little silence for their birthday!" Nick burst. Hard. His ears dropped as he caught sight of Judy's face, the emotions of being shocked and scared combined together in a hybrid type of horror. It made Nick's stomach squirm uncomfortably, knowing he had done that. Judy's ears had sunk low against her back, her nose quivering from the sudden outburst.

"I- J-Judy, I…." he tried, gulping a wave of tears. The fox hadn't meant to lash out like that, it was just all the emotions bottled up inside of him.

"I'm s-sorry, I didn't mean to-" Nick tried again, only to be cut off by Judy lunging at him in a warm embrace. The kit choked a little, as a big fat tear rolled down his cheek.

"What's wrong Nick?" she asked him through his turquoise shirt.

"It's just-" his mind flashed with the events of before. "I-" of going to the hospital, getting the diagnosis, everything "I j-just-" of being told his mother was going to _die,_ straight in his face. Without a _hint_ of remorse, as if every doctor had lost all sense of caring for their patients over the time of their work. "I can't-"with that, the fox broke down, all of his barriers being crushed by the over weighing torrent on emotion. He clutched on to Judy like she was his only boat to save him from drowning in that tsunami of emotion, as if she was the only thing he could truly be attached to.

And they stayed like that, for many, many minutes, Nick crying salty tears, Judy comforting him as best as she could.

"Why does this have to happen to _me._ And _why_ on my birthday? _WHY?!_ " the fox sobbed, feeling bad for throwing all of this on Judy.

"What Nick? You can tell me, I'm your friend, I won't judge," Judy said in a quiet voice.

"My mum's gonna, she's gonna, d-di-" Nick choked, until a fresh wave of tears took over him. Judy felt her heart shred at those words. Poor Nick, on his _birthday_. _That's so horrible!_ Her mind cried out, as her best friend's body shook. He seemed so vulnerable in this state, and this was the first time she had ever witnessed Nick break down like this, he was usually so cocky and playful, she never dreamed he could fall this hard.

"Oh Nick," she grasped her friend tightly, as he sobbed into her shoulder. "I'm so sorry," Judy choked a little herself as Nick let out a heart-wrenched sob.

"W-we can do something else for your birthday, if you want," she whispered.

"I don't want anything for my birthday! Don't you understand?! My mum is _dying,_ I don't give a damn about my birthday!" Nick yelled into her shirt, making Judy flinch alarmingly, almost dragging them off the playground.

"S-sorry Judy," he mumbled, gulping down his frustration.

"It's okay, you need to let it out. It isn't healthy to keep those emotions in," Judy rubbed his back, as Nick whimpered quietly. The bunny raked her brain trying to remember everything her mum said to her and her siblings when they felt this way, trying to come up with a relevant solution.

"I just can't live with this anymore," he whispered in a hushed tone, his tail twitching to curl around him protectively.

"But you have to. You must look after your mother. You are the man of the house, and you need to help her now," Judy replied, surprising her and Nick at how mature it sounded.

"But I don't know how," he replied, leaning back and wiping his muzzle with his arm, proceeding to smudge his face with tears.

"I will help you. Me and my family," she corrected, wiping a small tear off of his whiskers.

"P-promise?"

"Promise," Judy solemnly swore, as she helped Nick down the slippery slide.

"Starting from now, by taking you home," she confirmed, as the fox smiled tentatively.

"T-thanks, Carrots," _Good, he's using my nickname again. He's getting better!_ Judy thought optimistically, as they walked to their bikes and got their gear ready to head home. Little did the bunny know, that Nick wasn't going to get better or some time, until she helped him to truly heal.

* * *

 **Hey guuuuuuuys, wussup? Okay, okay, so I really am a jerk and should have updated sooner, but I needed a HUUUUUUGE break from those school stuff... english guys, english.**

 **Okay, so yeah this is celebrating WOOOOO over a hundred favourites! I am HONOURED guys, literally! I never knew I would be able to reach so many favourites in such short chapter notice. I logged on one day and checked my stories and I reach this one, and it was WOAH 100 WHAT THE HECK?!**

 **THANK YOU SO MUCH! I know I haven't updated this too many times, but I promise I will try more often.**

 **On another side of things, yes this is the point where it gets darker. (Sorry) but it was my birthday on the weekend (last weekend) and I wanted to do something birthday themed. Ehh, I was a little depressed cus I feel my mum always overdoses on my birthdays, and I was like okay depressing chapter due!**

 **So yeah, this came out...**

 **Anyways, it will get a little darker due to the events (like sadder) so BEWARE!**

 **I will make some happier chapters but, yeah, this is becoming more of a fic, not a one-shot collection.**

 **Until next time, Carrots!**


	7. Slipping and Drowning

She said it would be okay. But obviously, that's a lie. It's always a lie. No one ever tells the truth because the truth is never good. So, they have a reason to lie, but why does the truth have to hurt so bad? She's slipping away, and all I can do is stand and watch. It's been 2 months since the results have improved slightly, but depression is hard to beat.

I try to comfort her, but without comfort of my own it feels so empty. I feel so selfish for feeling that, but it's true.

She's been given a deadline for three months, but even I feel like she won't make it for even one. She just sits there, without any care. No care for herself. No care for _me._ Her only son, only family, only one who truly cares. Why does she have to give up on me? Because when she gives up on herself, she gives up on me. She doesn't have a reason to live, at least that's what she mumbles in her sleep at night. The only thing she ever says, saying she doesn't have a reason to live, why bother trying, life is useless yada yada yada.

I love her, but she doesn't seem to notice anymore. I try to get a response out of her, but the only thing I get is an empty stare, looking into the vast void of nothingness.

She prefers to look at nothing instead of her son.

And it hurts. Oh so bad. Leaving for school every morning after the carer comes, looking over my shoulder to see her same position, sitting in that rocking chair staring out the window. Leaving to go to a useless school, to learn useless things. Useless because nothing I learn there is going to help me cure my mum!

But I'm not naïve. Judy thinks there is always a possibility for recovery, but she isn't the one having to look after her. Coronary Heart Disease is probably the deadliest disease you can get, and since we lived in the slums of the city for the first part of my life, before I met Judy, there was barely any good living conditions for us. Put the fact that she used to smoke when my father disappeared, put the fact that my _father disappeared_ , and it isn't a good concoction.

She just doesn't have the will to live, so the depression Is decreasing her living time.

A lot.

Nick tapped his pencil absentmindedly on the desk whilst leaning on his elbow, fatigue taking over him as the equations on the board blurred into a picture of his mother and him, playing in a swing set.

The fox cub sighed in despair, as he fingered his pencil, rolling it between his thumb and index finger, glancing around the classroom packed with bored kits, cubs and pups. One was even sleeping behind an open book, which summed up how Nick felt at that moment. In front of him Judy was furiously zipping through the algebra questions like they were a racing track, the noticeable sound of pencil flying across paper being emitted from her desk.

The fox kit watched her ears through lazy eyes, sighing again as he tried to make sense of the numbers and pronumerals.

"Mr Nicolas Wilde, are you concentrating?" their tiger teacher, Mr Robin, inquired, drawing all the classes eyes towards him.

Nick blinked several times, trying to comprehend the question.

"F-fine," he choked out, coughing to clear his throat after the long pause.

"Mmm," his throat rumbled, turning back to concentrating on teaching his lesson.

Nick puffed out a breath, his eyes darting back down to the concentrating Judy, his eyes drooping down at the sight of how blind she was to everyone around her. That, in his view, was her only fault. Sure, she was extremely caring and kind to everyone's needs, but that was only when she actually _noticed_ them. Other than that, she was always so focused on her tasks, that animals could be dying and yet she wouldn't bat an eye.

 _That's exaggerated,_ he rolled his eyes at himself, as Mr Robin underlined the answer to his equation on the board with a screech.

The fox kit choked back a loud sigh of frustration at how desperate for comfort he sounded. He didn't need anyone's sympathy, he could easily handle things on his own.

Easily…

If only it _were_ that easy.

Living didn't seem as easy anymore.

His mum had proven that.

 _Mum…_

Nick needed to get out, he was drowning in his thoughts. He wouldn't be able to come back for air if he didn't get some. His ears flicked back in alarm as he took quick little gasps, blinking violently to prevent any tears from even thinking of spilling out.

He quickly raised his paw, stretching it up high and fast to get his teacher's attention.

"Yes?" the tiger asked suspiciously, as Nick took a tiny gulp.

"I need to go to the bathroom," he quickly mumbled, loud enough for the large tiger to hear. He sighed, and tiredly rubbed his temples. The afternoon must have been getting to him too, as Nick was the 11th student to go.

"Go on, but hurry," he growled lightly, as Nick scrambled out of his seat, shoving his chair to the side.

The fox navigated his way through the tables of bored students, like navigating through a swarm of droning bees drunk with honey. He slipped through the door, closing it lightly with a small click that echoed through the halls. It was that empty with silence.

 _Air, air, air. I need air,_ he thought frantically to himself, whipping his head left and right as he tried to remember where the bathrooms were in his numbed state. He decided to run left, oblivious to any other students or any teachers. He took a blind right, as forests of lockers blurred past him. Just like his tears.

Another right, straight on running, a left, straight on running.

He was just driving through the school in a zigzagging rate, throwing a blind eye to anything around him. Nick just wanted to get lost, lost from society, lost from his feelings, lost from the troubles. He just wanted everything to fall away, liking water dripping down a rock. He wanted to drown in something, anything.

Just get him away from this mess.

The cub yanked open a door and threw it shut behind him with a loud clank. He turned around sharply, only to be wacked in the cheek with a sharp, straw like substance that attacked him from the dark. It threw him off balance, as he tried to brush it off with his paws, he fumbled around and tripped over a bucket, which pulled him down into a group of cleaning items. They all avalanched onto him, ambushing him with their handles and sponges.

Nick tried and failed to get up, since his foot was still trapped in the bucket. He tried to shake it off, only resulting in another broom to fall, and crash down into the others, forming a bar across his chest.

The kit gripped the handle with both paws in a fist, face scrunched as tears fell in pools, blinding his eye to the little light he had.

He shoved it off, bringing more sponges and buckets to be knocked down a shelf, lids popping open. They all fell to the ground in a torrent of water and soap, creating a large pool of water licking Nick's feet.

He shivered, crying more as he curled into a little ball, as the water lapped at his tail, drenching his shorts.

But he didn't care, because finally something was drowning him, other than the tears that washed his cheeks.

Finally, he wasn't drowning in his emotions.

* * *

 **Hey guys! So sorry I haven't updated in FOREVER. I just realized when I was looking through my stories that I have left this one on complete, even though it isn't. So sorry about that, we aren't leaving it at that ;)**

 **Anyhow, I have been (don't mind the pun) drowning in school work and have just finished 2 exams this morning so now I am (basically) free. Apart from that English exam of writing a short story, but y'know this was basically study.**

 **I hope you enjoyed this, it was more Nick base, sorry for that I will include some Judy moments, but again, school (cry). I will try and update more from now on, but I am horrible with commitments to y'know, reviews are greatly appreciated. Especially some advice on how I can expand my writing knowledge.**

 **Until then, Floof Out!**


	8. Trying

Judy blinked, clutching her books a little tighter as Nick huffed and walked away, his tail flicking angrily behind him. The doe sucked in a breath as she stared after his departing back, her ears sinking downwards. Judy had just been trying to help since her friend had seemed quite down, but it had ended quite badly.

 _"Nick! Wait up!" she cried, racing up to fall into step next to her best friend. The fox eyed her, flashing her a quick smile which slipped back into a frown._

 _Judy smiled at her friend, her ears perking up in determination. "So," she coughed, looking ahead to the bench they were walking to, "how's your mother going?" The question was meant to be harmless, but despite that Nick froze up, flinching at the word 'mother'._

 _"Normal," he muttered, fiddling with his collar._

 _"O-oh?" Judy cleared her throat, her foot shifting on the ground. "Sorry, I was just asking. My parents asked if, if you needed anything, and I said I would ask, because we know you're struggling and-"_

 _"I said it's fine, fluff," Nick warned, sitting down on the bench and bringing up his legs to hug protectively. "Just. Leave it,"_

 _"Are you sure? Because you've been so down the past few days, and I thought-"_

 _"_ Rabbit _! I said drop it," the fox growled, inhaling sharply. Judy stared at her friend's sharpness, digging her claws into her hand. Nick was never this angry before, and if he was it was just a joking composure, nothing serious._

 _But he was serious._

 _The friends sat in silence for some time, Judy's appetite blowing away with the chilly wind. The doe snuck a glance at Nick, who's gazing was sadly following all the playing children, envy pricking at his eyes. He realized Judy was looking at him and sighed in irritation._

 _"I'm fine, Carrots. Stop worrying," he tried to use her nickname, but the sentence died on his tongue._

 _"You don't seem fine," she said softly, resting her hand on his shoulder. Nick squirmed uncomfortably, the tears stabbing his eyes. He never felt this sad, and could usually keep his composure but when Judy confronted him, he just wanted to breakdown sobbing, as if she melted his walls. He never should have given her that power._

 _"I said I'm fine!" he snapped at her, jerking away as he stood up from the chair. It felt suffocating, letting himself believe it would be fine, they would be fine. Everything was_ not _fine, and letting Judy comfort him wouldn't help that._

 _"Nick! I'm trying to_ help _you! Could you please just let us_ help _you!" Judy cried, holding his arm tightly. "Running away from the truth isn't getting you anywhere!"_

 _"Yeah, I know that! But false hope isn't helping any much than running from the truth! So, kindly stop telling me that it will_ be alright _when it clearly isn't!" he yelled out, his patience thinning as his panic set in again. It was stupid, but it was there, and talking about it was just going to inflate it more. He needed to leave. Now._

 _"Talking about it relieves it!" Judy tried, blocking his path before he could storm._

 _"Talking about it reminds you off it!"_

 _"Well not remembering it and ignoring it won't help your mum!"_

 _"Don't you_ dare _talk about not helping my mum! You're not the one wagging school to look after her on those bad days, you're not the one who must live with that empty house! You're not the one that needs to grow up before you're ready! You're not the one who has to_ live _with this!" Nick choked out, towering over her. Judy stared at him in shock, her nose quivering in fear._

 _This wasn't her friend._

 _"And this is why you don't talk to me about it," it was Nick who seethed these words, his eyes filled with rage._

Judy's ears lay limp behind her head, suddenly tightening as she realized her attempt at comfort had gone horribly wrong. Nick's departing back showed that. The doe shook off the astonished stares of the other cubs and kits, and quickly hurried after Nick.

"Nick please! Don't leave…" Judy cried after her friend, who was had started to sprint away, whipping around a corner of the school building. The bricks blurred through Judy's tearful lenses as the fox didn't stop, rushing away into the classrooms and slamming the doors in her face. The doe's nose twitched in alarm, as Nick running away blurred into her reflection. "I'm just trying to help," she whispered hoarsely, mostly just to her reflection which gazed back at her in despair. Nick disappeared around a corner inside the school, and with that so did Judy's friend and hope, yet still the bunny didn't pursue. It would just make things worse, and she didn't want worse, she wanted better, but clearly whatever she was doing wasn't working.

"Nick," she whimpered to herself, blinking away a stray tear. The breeze wrapped around her, the leaves taunting her. A chill set inside the bunny, and it wasn't the breeze that froze her heart.

It was the thought of losing her friend.

* * *

 ***Crawls out of ditch gasping* ALIVE! I'm ALIVE. Aaaaaaaaaaaaand so SO SO SO SORRY. Just survived exam block, blargh barely. THIS STORY ISN'T DEAD I PROMISE! I WILL FINISH IT AND SHOCK AND COLLARS.**

 **Okay, so apology for the minuteness of this chapter, buuuuut I felt guilty and wanted to post something for you guys. I also realized I needed a chapter on Judy's point of view, soooo yeah. I hope this'll satisfy you until I write a longer, more-worthy-of-being-called-a-chapter chapter.**

 **Until then, Floof Out!**


	9. Fine

"Hey Mum," Nick said, the door swinging shut behind him as he limped into the house. His greeting echoed down the hallway, however seemed to fall deaf on his mother's ears, the only acknowledgement of his presence a flick of her ear and a flicker of her eyes. The fox kit felt a flash of despair, as if he had actually hoped today would be any different from before. Nick adjusted the grip on his bag, making his way to his room.

"I'm just going to work on homework!" he called over his shoulder, feebly trying to act normal. His mother didn't answer, as if she had also drowned into her thoughts and forgotten to come back up for air.

And for her son.

The fox shook his head, swinging his door shut and throwing his bag down on the floor against his bed. Nick threw on some clothes, aimlessly walking back to his secluded bed and backpack. Crawling through the bed sheets, he squeezed his eyes shut, the pile of homework leaving a sour feeling of despair. Maybe today, he would just not for once. Bothering had been draining his energy until he felt numb to the core, and honestly, he needed the break.

But he had to be bothered with his mother.

Without him, she really wouldn't have anything to live for.

 _As if you give her much of a reason._ Great. Absolutely great. As if things weren't that bad, the voice had slithered back into his head. Nick gritted his teeth against it, shifting his head to rest on its side, trying to brush off the thought. It wasn't hard, he had gotten so used to doing it that-

 _Stop! Just, stop thinking, Nick, you're making this worse!_ The fox scolded himself, taking a deep breath.

"Don't think, and it'll stop," he growled, swallowing some bile that clutched at his throat.

"You can't lose it now," Nick murmured to himself, pushing himself up out of his bed, looking around his room, as if trying to find a distraction in the familiar setting. His gaze finally rested on a picture of him and Judy, which had slid and fluttered down to the ground from his desk, their happy faces visible. If only he could consume the happiness that had been implemented on that piece of paper. Nick felt his ears sink as he remembered what he had down to her, looking down at his hanging toes, which twitched and kicked at the air.

 _I should apologise,_ he said to himself.

 _For being such a jerk. Your feelings don't matter, you shouldn't let them hurt anyone else!_ The voice answered back, making Nick inhale. For once, he didn't have the strength to deny it, and just sunk back down into the covers.

"Nick?" the fox blinked after a couple of seconds, the echo confirming the voice wasn't in his head this time.

"Nick, are you home?"

It was the carer. _Why wasn't she already here? Wait what…_ Nick shook his head in confusion, not understanding what he was trying to ask. He threw his confusion to the side, shooting out of his bed and walking out into the hall.

"Yeah, I'm here Stacey," he replied weakly, looking up at the gazelle, who was dressed in a delicate gown.

"Ah, good. I was just out on an errand,"

"B-but you're not allowed to leave my mum unsupervised!" Nick stuttered in shock, following after Stacey who purposefully navigated through the house to the kitchen.

"Oh, come now, I knew you would be home," Stacey brushed off Nick's worry. "Besides, we needed more food,"

"St-still! I can't look after her, or lift her if she falls," Nick persisted as Stacey rested the bags of groceries on the counter, sighing as she stooped down to meet Nick's gaze at eye level.

"You can hit triple zero, can't you? Well then you can look after her," Stacey said firmly, yet gently. She stood up, walking past Nick, ruffling the fur on the top of his head. "Now, I need to go and get her ready for dinner. Can you prepare yourself? I expect you to be ready by six fifteen sharp, and no late because I need sleep as well," the gazelle demanded, leaving the room and a dismal Nick behind her. The kitchen felt monstrous to him, the bench towering above him forebodingly.

The fox sighed, dropping his gaze to the floor as he crept back to his room. Stacey was nice enough, but sometimes he felt like she didn't see him any more than his mother did.

Nick grabbed his books and tablet out of his backpack, determined to occupy his mind with his studies, hoping it would provide an emotional wall to keep the voice out. The fox sat at his desk, working silently, not even bothering to grab his music as the silence kept him on task. The minutes stretched on as the words on the page increased, and slowly Nick's energy evaporated, leaving him yawning in his seat. The fox decided to put the essay he was working on to rest, reaching into his backpack to pull out a booklet. He froze as he saw it, gulping then sighing in one movement.

It was the group project they had been assigned in Geography. He had completely forgotten about it, and had yet to set up a date to work on it with his partner.

A warm memory flickered in Nick's mind, and the brief moment where he let the feeling flow through him, he remembered. Remembered Judy standing up to take him as her partner, despite the cruel things he had said to her before. It provided him with some comfort, with him expecting her to go with one of her friends, someone who wouldn't shoot mean comments when she tried to help them.

Nick brushed off the feeling, savouring a little of the warmth before he shut that book completely. He glanced at the miniature round clock he had on his desk, which read six eleven.

It was time for dinner.

* * *

Nick picked at the fish on his plate with his fork, blinking at it absentmindedly. The table felt like it had fallen into a sound proof bubble, the air thick with silence.

Stacey had tried and failed to feed his mother, and then tried and failed to get Nick to eat, so had taken residence in the seat between them in the rectangular table, eyeing both of them. She sighed, swallowing her bite and then shoving her chair back to stand up.

"You two _both_ need to eat! Nick, you need to swallow your pride and food, because your mother needs a lot more attention than you do. She hasn't eaten for a day now, and it is a struggle just to get her to eat. I am not here as your babysitter, I am here as her carer," Stacey ordered in exasperation.

Nick's eyes slid to stare at her through their corners, blinking in shock. He dropped his fork and went to speak, but was cut off.

"Needless to say, I have more news to tell and no other time seems any more appropriate than now. I have been ordered to inform my company that if you cannot live under the roof of your mother, then this is not a fit place to live. By law, if your mother doesn't get any better than they will have to charge neglect, and you will have to be moved to a foster home. For your sake, I have tried to make the truth as light as possible, but sooner or later they _will_ find out, and if you're starving, then they will not hesitate to move you!" surprise and shock radiated from Nick, as Stacey stood stoic beside him.

"I'm sorry, Nick. If I come back and you haven't eaten, then I will have no choice but to inform Child Safety," the gazelle swiftly grabbed her dish and sailed out of the room, leaving a quivering fox kit and his mother alone.

Nick shook his head, shaking in dismay. Tears pricked at his eyes, the sudden lecture opening his tear ducts and all the emotions he had locked up.

A sob escaped his muzzle, his whole world feeling like it was being shaken and ruined as the truth sunk in, his fears being transformed, his nightmares released into reality. The fox kit squeezed his eyes shut, his heart throbbing painfully in his chest, trying desperately to get everything under control. He had maintained control reasonably well given the situation, but now the safety pins and locks he had installed had disappeared, leaving the raw truth throbbing.

"Fine,"

The single word floated through the crumbling ruins in Nick's mind, returning him to his present self, blinking in confusion.

"It's…. fine," the airy assurance was coming from his mother's muzzle. She seemed to be staring at him, and yet not quite, as if he was a ghost, or she could only see one layer of him. "Fine, fine," the vixen muttered absently, starting to look around, not really focussing on anything. "Fine,"

Nick's heart quivered in its place, as he stared openly at his mother. The fox rubbed his cheek and eyes, clearing his vision to see a clearer version of his mother, who had returned to staring out at space.

The fox returned his stare to his plate after several moments of silence, and then slowly reached out to his fork, cutting off a little piece, nibbling on it thoughtfully. He turned over what had just happened, trying to see _what_ had just happened. That's when he remembered. The first time his mother had started to lose sight of him, Nick had continuously murmured 'It's going to be fine, Mum' and 'It's fine'.

Maybe, maybe she had remembered. He blinked, his tail swaying as he took another bite of his food, swallowing it down.

"It's fine," Nick tested the words on his tongue, their meaning feeling foreign from the time he had banished them from his mind. He nodded at their resonance radiated through him, closing his eyes briefly, letting out a shuddering breath.

It's fine.

* * *

 **HA! I told you I wouldn't be ded, and I'm not. Here is the more longer chapter, set in Nick's point of view. So I needed to highlight how he was feeling again, but then I also needed to remember he is still relatively young.**

 **I hope this didn't feel rushed or anything, I feel it might be but I'll leave you guys to decide that.**

 **Anyway, now that I am on summer holidays, I will try to update more often. Hope you enjoyed fam!**

 **Until next time, Floof Out!**


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